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IshKebab | karma 13023 | avg karma 1.29 · 2024-01-01 04:27:36

I dunno, it kind of makes sense. If you do just rename a file it can track it. If you do more than renaming, it immediately becomes ambiguous as to whether you actually renamed the file or just deleted it and made a new very similar file. Or multiple similar files.

I think the real failing is that it isn't very good at handling the "rename and slightly modify" case, even when it theoretically could. Of course it's non-trivial to detect that case, and there are flags you can use to improve the detection but it's still not great in my experience.

It might make sense to allow adding hints to the git commit message to help it. Dunno if anyone has tried implementing that.

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Karellen | karma 5022 | avg karma 3.57 · 2024-01-01 05:07:50

I think GP's point was that there is an argument that `git` should be able to track "real" metadata about what changed. e.g. `git mv foo bar` should be able to record that "foo" was definitely renamed to "bar" - even in the presence of massive changes. Whereas `git rm foo; git add bar` should be able to record that "foo" was deleted and "bar" was added, even if the files are substantially similar. And that this should be more meaningful to `git` itself than just hints in the commit message.

(Personally, I've not come across the need for such a feature. But I can understand why people might want to have it be available.)

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IshKebab | karma 13023 | avg karma 1.29 · 2024-01-01 07:31:40

Yeah it sounds nice in theory but the number of edge cases and complications it adds are crazy.

* You need to add `git cp`.

* You'll mess things up if you accidentally `mv` instead of `git mv`.

* All IDEs have to add support for this.

* Have fun resolving metadata merge conflicts!

That's just the things I thought if in a few seconds.

IMO the sensible way to improve this is to have a place for Git to add hints, so that it's automatic rename detection algorithms work better.

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forrestthewoods | karma 7529 | avg karma 2.6 · 2024-01-01 15:00:38

I think you’re overcomplicating it.

Files just need to know where they moved from, if anywhere. Copy, modify, delete operations can be auto-detected almost all of the time. Lineage can be edited after the fact if needed.

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erik_seaberg | karma 4377 | avg karma 1.56 · 2024-01-01 15:37:16

If you use “svn mv” inconsistently, you rapidly land in conflict resolution hell (this was a nearly weekly ordeal on a former team). If you forget to use “git mv,” git still works.